UPPER MERION — When you’ve got a bad case of the mall munchies, Doc Popcorn is there to prescribe an all-natural, relatively guilt-free remedy.

The “doctor” will see you at the sunny kiosk on the lower level of The Plaza at King of Prussia, near JC Penney, away from the food court.

Crowds have been lining up to bag a Doc Popcorn gourmet treat since husband and wife team Melanie Kittrell and Fred Smith created a niche for themselves by providing shoppers with a snack the couple can believe in, Kittrell said.

“Everything you can eat at the mall isn’t going to hurt you in moderation,” said the scientist-turned-marketer-turned-popcorn queen. “We all love cheesesteaks, smoothies, hot dogs, pretzels and ice cream. But it’s good sometimes to choose a healthier snack when it’s provided.”

Advertisement

Choosing a franchise founded on the philosophy of providing such a snack was the impetus for Kittrell leaving behind a lucrative career in the pharmaceutical industry and convincing her husband, a one-time gardening retailer, to join her.

“We’re empty nesters now; our kids are grown and on their own,” Kittrell explained. “I come from corporate America and I always had it in the back of my head that one day I would take my knowledge and skills and bring them to a family business my husband and I could do together.”

The couple sought the expertise of a franchise broker, who suggested they give the decade-old and still growing, Boulder, Colo.-based Doc Popcorn chain of PopShops a pop.

“We had some criteria for the business we wanted,” Kittrell said. “It had to be simple, fun and something that would allow me to employ very young people because I like helping them by encouraging them to stay in school.”

It didn’t take the couple long to realize that the company — which had started as a mall operation by another enterprising husband and wife — met all those requirements.

“We have nine flavors of popcorn and grab-and-go sodas,” Kittrell said. “We don’t have to worry about food spoilage and don’t need a certain kind of chef. It’s pretty easy to take someone who’s never done this before and turn them into someone who’s pretty good at it within a couple of weeks. They just have to be good at popping the corn and making sure it’s really fresh, and also and tastes great. And they have to be good at customer service because we want our customers to be treated well.”

The couple’s DP King of Prussia launch has now spawned kiosks in Oxford Valley Mall, Cherry Hill Mall and Willow Grove Mall.

“I have the business background, with the analytical side, lease negotiations and the background work you need to do in business, whereas Fred is good with customer service, working with employees, keeping the equipment working,” Kittrell said. “We have very complementary skills.”

Available in small bags for $4 and large bags for 50 cents more, as well as party sizes and gift tins, Doc Popcorn comes in nine flavors: the top-selling Better Butter, Sweet Butter, Klassic Kettle, Cheesy Cheddar, Triple White Cheddar, Salt ‘n’ Pepper, Caramel Kettle, Hoppin’ Jalapeno and Sinfully Cinnamon.

Going from pharmaceuticals to popcorn, Kittrell is happy that the “prescriptions” she’s championing these days may help folks avoid some of the ones she used to promote.

“I always say coming from the pharmaceutical industry we were working on the treatment side, as we were trying to come up with medicines that would treat diabetes or heart disease,” she said. “And a lot of those conditions are caused by poor lifestyle choices. What I’m doing now with my popcorn business is trying to offer a healthy snack and prevent those conditions — one bag of popcorn at a time.”